


People Watching

by choriarty



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Demon AU, M/M, Oni Genji Shimada, Yokai Tekhartha Zenyatta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-27 22:49:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10818378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choriarty/pseuds/choriarty
Summary: “I don’t know why I still talk to you.”That was a lie. Genji knew exactly why he still talked to the annoying kitsune yokai.But it wasn’t like he was going to tell him anytime soon.





	People Watching

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greatsenpai](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=greatsenpai).



> Based on a doodle my friend did of a costume swap with Oni Genji and Zenyatta, where Zenyatta became an adorable kitsune demon!!
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> Posts can be found [here](https://twitter.com/greatsenpai/status/859655701873827841/photo/1) and [here!!](https://twitter.com/greatsenpai/status/859706638260883456/photo/1)

“I don’t know why I still talk to you.”

That was a lie. Genji knew exactly why he still talked to the annoying kitsune yokai.

But it wasn’t like he was going to tell him anytime soon.

“Perhaps it is because you find my presence charming,” Zenyatta’s smile could be heard from underneath his mask.

“Keep dreaming,” Genji shook his head.

“Supposing that the answer truly evades your grasp, perhaps you should meditate on it.”

“Like I’d trust you after the last time I tried.”

“If I had know that you would be so hurt, I would not have played that prank on you.”

“Yeah you would have.”

Zenyatta hummed. “You are right; I would have still. Humans truly are clever to have invented such a trick.”

“It doesn’t take a genius to invent a bag that farts.”

“I would disagree, but perhaps that is because I was not the one who sat on it,” Zenyatta chuckled, making Genji turn red underneath his mask.

The oni growled and threw his hands up before crossing them over his chest. There was absolutely no winning with this damned kitsune. No matter how much Genji tried, Zenyatta would just talk circles around him until he was left frustrated and embarrassed again and again.

“Why are we here again?” Genji changed the subject off of himself.

“Because the humans are gathering,” Zenyatta answered absent-mindedly, his eyes focused on the mass of sweet smelling bodies underneath them.

“This is a bit big for lunch, don’t you think?” Genji asked. “If you attack them now, you’re gonna have too many leftovers to take home.”

“Well then it is a good thing that I do not plan on eating them.”

Genji scoffed. “What else would you do with humans?”

“Watch them.”

“What? Again? Haven’t you already done enough of that this week?”

“Tonight is special,” Zenyatta elaborated. “Look, they decorate the trees with strings of lights and give out all sorts of food. Down there-- I think they are playing games. Isn’t it fascinating?”

Normally Genji would not give a second glance to the writhing mass of humans below. It was not unusual to catch humans gathering together for safety or warmth, as they had been doing so since the first one walked upon the mortal plane. Genji could not care less about _what_ they were doing while clustering.

At least on a normal day.

However, any day spent with Zenyatta was not quite normal.

For the first time in Genji’s very long life, he looked down upon what he would naturally see as food, and actually observed them. The smell of human foods and spices wafted up into the air where he and Zenyatta floated; sweet and sticky mixing with spicy and dry. All sizes and colours of lights hung from any available branch or pole, making the scene almost glow compared to the dark night that surrounded them. 

There were humans of all ages, some even with animals, each wearing long colourful clothes that were most likely worn to make them stand out. Once Genji stopped tuning out the background noise, he was surprised that he had been able to hear Zenyatta speak at all. Shouting and laughing and singing could be heard from below them, not to mention the several types of music that came from almost all directions.

“How noisy,” Genji muttered.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Zenyatta sighed.

Genji looked over at his (friend?). Zenyatta was floating with his face held in his hands and though his eyes were not visible, Genji could almost see the way he looked upon the mortals in awe. _Look at me--_ Genji thought-- _Look at me like that. Cast that grinning fox max upon me and watch me with adoration like you do the humans._

“Yeah,” Genji said, not looking at the humans at all. “I guess.”

Zenyatta, without warning, lunged out and grabbed Genji by the wrist. He choked back a gasp at the sudden attack and submissively allowed Zenyatta to drag him along to the next point of interest. He was saying something, pointing at somewhere else, but Genji could only pay attention to the warm grip on his wrist and the way that he could feel soft paw pads press into his skin.

“Look at all of them,” Zenyatta said. “So many of them are wearing masks, we could probably slip in there without any of them noticing.”

“I’m sure that some of them would notice,” Genji grumbled. “I mean, you float, and have a real tail.”

“I am fully capable of standing, Genji,” Zenyatta huffed. “But… you are right. Even with the costumes, we would stand out among them. It would not be wise.”

Genji wanted to punch himself in the gut. There was a line between trying to act cool and distanced, and being a downer asshole. Genji had apparently walked all over it and then danced on the wrong side just because he was trying to be aloof. His hands curled into frustrated fists and he let the bite of his own sharp nails punish himself for raining on his friend’s parade.

As Zenyatta’s once eager grip on Genji’s wrist slacked, Genji went into full on panic mode. “W-we don’t need to be down there to have fun, though! Who needs to wade through a bunch of greasy humans…? Not us! We can just hang out up here.”

Zenyatta’s gaze still lingered on the mass of mortals below, on how they moved and twirled along with the music. He hummed quietly. “I suppose so.”

Genji continued to scramble. “I mean-- they made fart bags, but that’s pretty much the only interesting thing they’ve done in a millenia. We don’t need them to enjoy ourselves!” The oni switched their hands and gripped Zenyatta’s wrist instead. “Come on, follow me.”

Zenyatta floated behind Genji as they drifted towards the stage below where all of the music came from. There was a handful of humans standing together, each with their own instrument and fancy costume. The two demons settled down near the grass behind the tent, just close enough to hear the human presence and music through the fabric. 

“What are you trying to show me, Genji?” Zenyatta asked.

“That yokai are better dancers than humans,” Genji said, holding out a hand. “Dance with me.”

The long red smile on Zenyatta’s mask revealed nothing of whatever expression was hidden beneath, and for a moment Genji wondered if he had said the wrong thing.

But Zenyatta just took his hand, using the other to cover where his mouth might have been as he giggled. “What happened to not associating with the humans?”

Genji smiled beneath his snow white mask and pulled Zenyatta close. “I don’t see any humans around here, do you?”

Zenyatta let himself be spun around with the upbeat music. “I suppose not,” he hummed, the only sign that he was not mortal being the inch between his dancing feet and the ground. “Go on, then. Show me what you got, Oni.”

Genji laughed. Together they let the music take them away, far far away. Fatigue did not touch their immortal bodies as they twirled around each other. Their attention was never taken by anything else as their eyes only saw each other. 

They held one another close when the music was slow. They laughed and jumped when the music was fast. No matter what, Genji and Zenyatta would find an excuse to touch one another. A hand on the hip, fingers brushing in a spin, heads pressed together as they swayed.

With each song their hearts soared-- and their bodies followed. As the energy came to a peak they were almost a metre in the air as they danced, gravity not binding their demonic natures to the ground. Time lost meaning, the music melted into the background as did the sound of the humans. For all they knew, the festival could have packed up and left and neither would notice.

A gasp.

Genji swung around and came face to face with a human. Pale, clammy skin-- wide eyes-- gaping mouth-- the human dropped the open lid drink that they were holding, blue slush spilling across the grass. 

“鬼...” they muttered, backing up slowly.

Genji lunged forwards, cutting off the scream that threatened to rip from the human’s throat. Instead they gagged and choked as the oni held them by the throat, toes struggling to stay on the ground.

“Had to ruin the moment, didn’t you?” Genji growled. “邪悪なコックブロック人間”

But before he could tear the meat from the mortal’s throat, Zenyatta floated up to Genji’s side. He slipped his hand underneath Genji’s grip and lowered the frail human to the ground, calmly patting down their yukata of any dust or dirt.

“There are better solutions than that, Genji,” Zenyatta said. “Let me fix this little problem… in my way.”

Zenyatta’s feet landed on the ground without a sound and he held the human by the shoulders. “Are you alright, stranger?” he asked, tone filled with honest concern.

The human stuttered and stumbled on words they could not find.

“You are acting very strangely,” the kitsune said. “And you smell very strongly of alcohol. Have you had too much to drink?”

Genji had held the human in close quarters, knew exactly how sober they had been, but with those few words the stink of booze filled the air. The human swayed on their feet and tried to grab hold of Zenyatta for some kind of stability, but their hands only slipped off of his clothes clumsily.

“Perhaps you should find some help,” Zenyatta said and turned them around. “I’m sure there is a staff member who can call you a taxi.”

The human slurred confusedly, trying to object, trying to accuse them of magic and mischief, but Zenyatta shooed them off with a wave of his hand and they went against their will. On the other side of the tent there was the sound of more concerned humans who had found their witness.

Zenyatta turned back to his dance partner. “Let us depart before any other humans find us.”

“Are you sure?” Genji asked. “We were-- you were having lots of fun. One human shouldn’t mess it up for you.”

“One curious human can’t ruin my night, Genji, nor could a dozen,” Zenyatta tilted his head, wide black eyes turning to smiling slits. “But they could delay it, and I would like to go home at some point.”

“Done people watching?” Genji teased.

“For now,” Zenyatta chuckled, his mask winking.

The two demons drifted into the night sky together. The stars haloed Zenyatta’s grinning mask, the red eyeballs on his orbs stared at Genji and blinked. They would have to part soon, Genji’s excuses for staying around running out as the time passed. His brother would most likely be looking for him any minute now. Then he would lecture him. Again.

“So…” Genji said, dragging out the ‘oh’.

“I had a nice night tonight,” Zenyatta said. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Genji scoffed. “For being a party pooper? For trying to maul one of your entertaining pets?”

“No,” the kitsune hummed. “For being here.”

Genji’s face heated up and once again he was thankful that his mask hid it. “O-oh yeah?”

“Yes. People watching may be fun, but anything is much more enjoyable when I have you beside me. Besides, you are a very good dancer.”

Genji watched in slow motion as Zenyatta pulled back his fox mask, revealing the metal face beneath. Nine red dots decorated his chrome forehead, matching his dark orange metal jaw. The slits that served as his eyes pointed downwards towards the center of his face, each with pointed red paint that looked like eyeliner, matching the mischievous paint job on his mask.

Zenyatta dipped forwards and pressed his metal face to the top of Genji’s head. He could feel something-- some kind of electric shock-- zap him as they touched. It sent a shiver down Genji’s spine and goosebumps down both arms.

Belatedly, as Zenyatta pulled away and replaced his mask, Genji realized that it was a kiss.

“Muh…” Genji said intelligently.

Zenyatta giggled, feet slightly kicking in the air. “Goodnight, Genji.”

A flick of the kitsune’s white tail and a puff of smoke and then he was gone, leaving barely a sign that he had been there at all. Genji was left alone, stunned, floating above the chatter of hundreds of mortals below. The pink of the rising sun was only just visible over the tip of the far away mountains and one by one the lanterns hung from the trees flickered out.

Genji touched the top of his head where his hair still stood up from the kiss.

“Wow…” he whispered to no one.

**Author's Note:**

> [ 鬼 ] - "Oni"  
> [ 邪悪なコックブロック人間 ] - "Evil cock block human"


End file.
